


Umbrella

by booksareourlove



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Laila Dermott & Jeremy Knox Friendship, Laila and Alvarez are in their freshman year, Pining, and they were ROOMMATES, rated T for alcohol and swearing, there are a few lines from the song Umbrella by Rihanna, written for the aftg winter fanzine 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-09-29 08:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17200340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksareourlove/pseuds/booksareourlove
Summary: Laila does not have a crush on her roommate and rival Alvarez.The Trojans have a tradition to spend a few days in the winter holidays together, for team building purposes. (Jeremy has plans.)





	Umbrella

**Author's Note:**

> This was beta'd by [James](https://www.instagram.com/betwixt.et.between) who is an angel. (Check out her art on instagram, it rocks.)
> 
> Happy Christmas for those who celebrate today! And happy Lailvarez forever.
> 
> Written for the AFTG fanzine Heathen's Greetings. Many cool creators in the fandom have done art and word constellations for it. [aftgholidayzine on tumblr](https://aftgholidayzine.tumblr.com/)

Laila knew these to be truths: Alvarez had a first name, but nobody knew it. Alvarez was one hell of a backliner, but Laila would never admit that. Alvarez had jokingly referred to Laila as her enemy in their first week of summer practice, and that was what stuck. Alvarez was her roommate. And Laila had a crush on her.

Wait, no, that wasn’t a truth. Laila did not have a crush on the most obnoxious and infuriating Trojan there ever was.

She sighed audibly. Jeremy in front of her just watched her as if she was an interesting fish in an aquarium. With steadily shaking hands she reached for the bottle and filled herself another shot of too-sweet yellow liquor. It was only her fourth - fifth? - but it was now sometime between 3am and morning, and the Trojans had celebrated winning their last game before the holidays. The only other time she had been this drunk was after high school graduation, and those were not nice memories.

“Do you have a crush on her?” Jeremy asked, effectively startling Laila out of her fuzzy memories.

“What? No!” She said, way too loud. “I do not have a crush on Alvarez! I would never! She’s always so smug about bodychecking others! She’s insufferable when she steals balls! And she always washes the dishes! Always!”

Jeremy stared at her. Laila assumed he was too drunk, anyway.

“She’s just so, so… I don’t know! I tried to antagonize her by giving her a lavender scented candle for her birthday, because she always complains that my closet smells of lavender, but she just smiled!” Laila couldn’t fathom how Jeremy could be so passive about her rivalry with her roommate. “We’re enemies, Jer!”

Jeremy’s eyes searched her face. Then he nodded at nothing. “It’ll be okay, Laila.”

But it wasn’t okay. It wasn’t okay because when Laila woke up sometime that afternoon, she had the chilling realisation that yes, she did indeed have a crush on Alvarez. Alvarez, whose eyes were as intimidating as they were beautiful, no matter the amount of makeup she wore or didn’t wear. Alvarez, whose hair looked way too good when it was wet from a shower. Alvarez, who could possibly bench press Laila. When Laila was wearing her goalie gear.

No. Nope.  _ Absolutely not okay, _ Laila thought as she subtly admired Alvarez’s relaxed face on the other side of the aisle in the Trojan team bus. She had white headphones in, and her brown skin looked soft to touch. Her eyes were closed, the dark lashes catching in the light from outside.

Jeremy beside her sighed, and Laila sighed back. It was the mood. Sighing was what they had done for the last ten hours on the bus, only interrupted by some sleep.

Every year, in the winter holidays, the Trojans went on a three day vacation together. It was a team building event, and a chance for the upperclassmen to get to know the freshmen off the court. They had boarded the bus at nightfall and had been going north ever since.

“Beautiful,” Jeremy said quietly. “So very pretty.”

“Yes,” agreed Laila, her eyes stuck on Alvarez’s nose. She’d tried to convince Jeremy she didn’t have a crush, but the downside of having a best friend was the forced honesty and the inability to hide things. “How can her nose be so attractive?”

“That’s not who I meant,” Jeremy elbowed her. Sighing, Laila followed his nudge and saw Finn Montez, two rows in front of Alvarez. Like Alvarez, Finn was sleeping, but one of his headphones had fallen out of his ear. “Finn Montez.”

“A striker?” Laila asked, confused. A junior striker, too.

“He just,” Jeremy said, in much the same tone she had used when asking about Alvarez’s nose, “he’s so  _ elegant, _ you know?”

Laila did not know. But she nodded anyway, and listened to Jeremy trying to describe the colour of Finn’s hair (black) and Finn’s skills on the court (very good) and that he once sang a Rihanna song when he thought he was alone in the showers.

Even Laila had to admit that last one was cute.

By the time they reached their destination, a small hotel next to a Target and a forest, Laila was excited for the next few days. They got off the bus and got their bags, Coach Rhemann going inside first to check in. Coach was the only adult on the trip, but the older goalies had said he usually just sat in the hotel cafeteria and drank coffee all day.

There wasn’t any snow around, but the sky was a cool grey, and the air was definitely colder than in LA.

Motion came to the twenty eight student athletes when the captain shouted that there were only rooms for two, and would everybody please find a friend. Laila turned to Jeremy, but Finn Montez was first.

Laila couldn’t believe the smile she saw on Jeremy’s face, and the enthusiastic yes he said with all his sunshine power. She was his best friend! Who was she supposed to room with if he roomed with someone else? Finn nodded, and smiled at Laila as he walked past her to put his and Jeremy’s names on the list for the rooms.

“Oh my god,” Jeremy said, staring wistfully after Finn. “Did you see that?”

“Of course I saw that!” Laila exclaimed. “Could you be any more obvious about your crush?”

“Pff,” Jeremy said and smiled even brighter, “I’m not the only one who’s obvious.”

Laila shook her head. “Yeah, coming up to ask you to  _ room with him _ was pretty obvious, I suppose.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Jeremy said.

They were the last to step into the hotel, a three storey tall house, painted yellow. Everything was okay until Laila saw the list with the names of the Trojans and a room number. The only free spot was next to room 201, Alvarez.

“Why doesn’t she write her first name,” Laila grumbled.

“This is wonderful!” Jeremy said. “You’ll be rooming with your roommate and your crush!”

“Shhh! Don’t shout that! And no, it’s not wonderful! Did you forget the part where we’re enemies?” But Jeremy wasn’t listening, so Laila sighed and wrote ‘Laila Dermott’ in the spot next to Alvarez’s name. How bad could it be?

Very, as it turned out.

Alvarez was lying on the bed, an arm thrown over her eyes. For a moment, Laila could only think about how good Alvarez looked in jogging pants and a sweater and how she felt slightly like she was intruding. The room was nice, the walls were painted yellow with small drawings of trees hung up, the window let in a lot of light given the overcast sky outside, and a wooden door that presumably went to the bathroom. Then she mentally backpedalled. Her bag slipped out of her fingers.

“Wait,  _ one _ bed?”

“Geez,” Alvarez flinched and sat up, making a face. “What are you doing here?”

“Jeremy abandoned me, but that isn’t the point!”

Alvarez raised an eyebrow.

Laila took a breath. “Why is there only one bed?”

Alvarez lifted her shoulders in an  _ I-don’t-fucking-know _ kind of way.  


“How can you not care?”

“So what? It’s a double bed. We’re both girls.” Alvarez sounded like she was reading off a list. “We’re both athletes, we’ve seen each other naked. We’re roommates anyway. This is a team building vacation, so why not just play along and try to enjoy ourselves?”

Alvarez was right, and Laila knew it. She just… it felt too easy. To be in the same room as her, to breathe the same air, to not tease her about her backlining, to not be teased in response. So Laila nodded and walked around the bed, dropping her bag on top of it. She didn’t know what to make of Alvarez’s calm acceptance of a double bed.

Dinner was a loud affair. Laila found herself caught in a group of sophomores, who all wanted to know about her love life, and didn’t seem to be satisfied with her short answers. There wasn’t much to tell, really, aside from Alvarez, but Laila wasn’t saying that to anyone, as she was still trying to convince herself otherwise.

The team bonding exercises after dinner were more exhausting than Exy, and Laila didn’t even think about her room situation until she and Alvarez, cheeks flushed from the running in the exercise, closed the door to their room and found themselves standing in a room that suddenly felt too small.

“Um, do you want to use the bathroom first?” Laila asked, and Alvarez wordlessly disappeared behind the door.

Laila heavily sat down on her side of the bed. She was going to kill Jeremy. But then, maybe Jeremy was dying anyway because he shared a room with Finn Montez. Laila hadn’t even known Finn wasn’t straight. Oh god, was Alvarez straight? More importantly, why had Laila never made a point to find out? Why did it never come up in conversation? In team gossip?

When Alvarez left the bathroom Laila was glad for the distraction of grabbing her pyjamas and going through with her evening ritual. Alvarez didn’t seem straight. She definitely wasn’t straight. Laila did not have a crush on a straight girl, that would be way too heartbreaking.

She finished brushing her teeth and shut off the lights, lying down on her side of the bed. She could feel that Alvarez shifted her weight.

“Good night, Laila,” a soft voice said, but Laila was already drifting off.

Her dreams were filled with snow. Evergreen trees under a thick layer of snow, and flakes falling down lazily, as if gravity was just a game. Breath that turned to clouds ascending into grey skies. But Laila was warm.

The rain on the window woke her.

Hair tickled her nose. For a moment she was caught up in sleeping and dreaming, but then all at once she realised. Her arms were around Alvarez, and the hair tickling her nose was Alvarez’s, and her pillow was Alvarez’s shoulder, and their legs were tangled, and she could feel Alvarez’s hand on her waist.

Laila couldn’t help herself. She tensed.  _ Fuckfuckfuckfuck- _

“Laila?” Alvarez’s rough voice sounded too close to her ear (and yet not close enough).

_ Fuckfuckfuck. _ Laila abruptly sat up, disentangling herself and blushing fiercely as Alvarez slowly woke up. It was too late. There was no way Alvarez would not think Laila’s entire existence didn’t start and end with Alvarez - damn it all that should not have happened. Laila wasn’t supposed to crush on her roommate, much less fall in love with - no, fuck, she wasn’t having these realisations now.

“Um, good morning,” Alvarez mumbled and cleared her throat. “What - what happened?”

“I’m sorry,” Laila pressed out. Love. The word felt like fire and ice, and now, looking back on  _ months _ of denial - it made sense. She sneezed. Her eyes burned. Alvarez’s eyes burned into her. And Laila panicked. She jumped out of the bed and barely registered to put on her shoes.

“Laila? What?”

But Laila was already running down the stairs, and through the foyer, and out, out into the rain. The rain washed her tears away.

It was cold, that was the first thing she noticed. Wet, the second. Still dark, the third. The Target was closed, and she could see no lights, not anywhere, not even street lights. It was so different from her home in New York City, and so different from USC campus in LA. The darkness where the trees began was imposing on the street.

She stepped into a puddle and cursed. Rain fell heavy, and her shirt was already soaked.

Cold crept into her limbs. She sneezed again. “This was a bad idea,” she whispered to herself. Why hadn’t she gone to Jeremy’s room? Why hadn’t she insisted that Jeremy shared with her? Why had she fallen in love with the girl on the team that had declared herself Laila’s enemy, and then proceeded to have a frenemy-like relationship with?

Sure, it had never been outright hostile. They were roommates, they compromised, Alvarez did the dishes, Laila cooked for two when the dining hall seemed to far away, and they collaborated on laundry. Of course, there had been the incident with the lavender scented candle, but wasn’t that just… an inside joke? Laila messed up big time.

“Laila! Wait!” Laila turned around. She couldn’t see well, but a familiar figure was moving towards her.

Laila wanted to hide. She really did. But what would be the point? She stood.

Panting, Alvarez stopped in front of her. “Are you okay? Why did you just run outside? You didn’t even take your jacket!”

“I… uh.”

“Wait,” Alvarez stepped closer, concern in her eyes, “were you crying?”

Laila couldn’t look at her. She looked down at her hands, feeling drops fall down on them, feeling the drops landing on her shoulders and drenching her. Why not just say it? What was holding her back?

“You’re shaking,” Alvarez said.

“I’m in love with you,” Laila said. The rain suddenly stopped. It was still cold, and she could hear the rain, but it didn’t touch her. “I… I thought it was a crush that would go away, but… you’re just so infuriatingly  _ you! _ You always wash the dishes! Who does that! And you’re literally the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen! So yeah,” Laila met Alvarez’s eyes, nearly faltering at the expression in them, “I’m in love with you. And… and I’m sorry if you’re uncomfortable -”

Lips met her lips. Warm breath hit her face and she felt Alvarez’s lips moving, slowly. Laila kissed her back. She felt Alvarez’s tongue against her lips and opened her mouth, welcoming whatever Alvarez was willing to give. She felt a hand on the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair, and gripped Alvarez’s coat, when she felt herself losing balance. She was kissing Alvarez.

Laila expected to wake up in bed when she opened her eyes and their lips parted. But she only saw Alvarez’s dark eyes, and noticed that the black sky was getting greyer. She shivered and looked around.

The trees had more shape now, and more colour, and rain was still falling around them. Laila looked up. A red and gold umbrella floated above her. It only took her a few moments to realize Alvarez was holding the umbrella above their heads. Alvarez.

Alvarez, who had just kissed Laila.

“Laila,” Alvarez said, and Laila’s knees buckled at the soft smile on her lips, “I’ve been in love with you for like, ages. Do not apologize, as I will just kiss you to shut you up. If anything, I should apologize, for not saying something sooner.”

Laila leaned in and captured Alvarez’s lips with her own. “If I can’t apologize, then you can’t either.”

Alvarez’s giggle rang through the morning. “That’s fair, but we really need to get you somewhere warm.”

Shivering, Laila could only nod. Her body hurt from the cold, and, well, Alvarez just confessed, too. Her heart felt like it was doing cartwheels when just a few minutes ago she was crying and fleeing a situation she had gravely misunderstood.

What a weird start to the holidays. Back in their room, Laila took a hot shower, before dressing in the most comfortable clothes she had with her. They’d… have to talk things out. Definitely. Probably?

Laila sat on the bed, but Alvarez quickly dragged her under the blanket, embracing they way they had done in their sleep.

“Do you feel better?” Alvarez asked quietly.

Laila suddenly giggled. “You had my heart, and we’ll never be worlds apart… maybe in magazines, but you’ll still be my star…”

“Now that it’s raining more than ever, know that we’ll still have each other, you can stand under my umbrella.” Alvarez continued, and Laila was in awe at how beautiful Alvarez was when she smiled.

“Under my umbrella,” Laila whispered. “Thank you for coming after me and being a functional human being.” She relaxed in Alvarez’s arms.

“You know, I’m pretty sure Jeremy faked his crush on Finn to set us up,” Alvarez said neutrally.

“What!?” Laila couldn’t believe - but oh, yes, she could. “That’s why it sounded so fake. I just thought it was because I’m lesbian, and therefore fundamentally did not understand.”

Laila felt Alvarez laughing more than she heard it.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Big Thanks to the discord.
> 
> And thank you for reading! Consider leaving kudos and a comment, I love those.


End file.
